Astros’ Javier gets new contract
Pitcher Cristian Javier and the Houston Astros agreed to a five-year, $64 million contract that avoided a salary arbitration hearing.
Javier gets a $2 million signing bonus, payable within 30 days of the deal’s approval by the commissioner’s office, and salaries of $3 million this season, $7 million in 2024, $10 million in 2025 and $21 million in each of the following two years.
His salaries in the final two years can increase based on Cy Young
Award voting, by up to $6 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027. He would get a $2 million boost for each first-place finish, $1 million for second and $500,000 for third through fifth.
Javier has the right to block trades to 10 teams without his approval in 2026 and 2027.
A 25-year-old righthander, Javier went 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA in 25 starts and five relief appearances last year, striking out 198 and walking 52 in 148 2⁄3 innings. He set career bests for wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings.
Javier won both his postseason starts, pitching 11 1⁄3 scoreless innings in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees and Game 4 of the World Series against Philadelphia.
He started a pair of no-hitters, pitching seven innings at the Yankees on June 25 and six innings in the game at the Phillies — just the second no-hitter in World Series history.
Javier had asked for $3.5 million in arbitration and had been offered $3 million. He made $749,100 last year.
ETC.
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played . ... Vinícius Júnior
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College basketball:
New Mexico State has suspended operations of its men’s basketball program
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Winter sports: Swiss skier Jasmine Flury won gold in the women’s downhill at the world championships in Meribel, France, on a rough day for the pre-race favorites. Flury edged Austrian skier
Nina Ortlieb by 0.04 seconds for her first career medal at major championships. Flury has won one World Cup race in her career but had no previous top-10 result from 10 starts at worlds and Olympics. Swiss teammate
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